President John Dramani Mahama has hinted that the current cohort of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) may be the last to be appointed under Ghana’s existing governance structure.
According to the President, national consultations currently underway point strongly toward a future where MMDCEs are elected directly by the people.
Speaking during an engagement with local government officials, President Mahama revealed that a National Review Committee is touring the country and consulting stakeholders on key governance reforms. The committee is expected to present its final recommendations in August.
He indicated that public sentiments suggest a craving for elections at the local governance level which is corroborated by surveys.
“You may be the last batch of MMDCEs appointed. The National Review Committee is going round, and I’m sure some of you may have been consulted. One of the major items that has been canvassed is the election of DCEs. There is no doubt that Ghanaians want their DCEs elected. Several surveys suggest that they prefer your category of political officers to be elected. Those who succeed you might have to go through elections.” Mahama said
Under Article 243(1) of the 1992 Constitution, the President is mandated to appoint District Chief Executives with the prior approval of not less than two-thirds majority of assembly members present and voting.
This framework has been in place since the beginning of Ghana’s Fourth Republic.
However, mounting pressure from civil society organizations, governance experts, and citizens has intensified calls for reform.
Advocates argue that electing MMDCEs would deepen decentralization, improve accountability, and make local leaders more responsive to community needs.
President Mahama’s comments align with longstanding public sentiment as captured by Afrobarometer, a respected pan-African research network. In a 2017 survey, 69% of Ghanaians said MMDCEs should be elected, with 55% expressing strong support.
Earlier surveys recorded similar trends, including 60% support in 2008 and 71% in 2012. A 2024 Afrobarometer briefing reaffirmed that most Ghanaians, regardless of region, political affiliation or age, want to elect their local leaders.
A previous attempt to amend these provisions in 2019 was shelved due to a lack of bipartisan consensus and inadequate public awareness.